Spring Colors, 041515

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Comment by Laura Xu on April 18, 2015 at 7:50

Dear Michael Wow! Every comment you wrote is a great lesson to me! Ok, I will promise not to paint this composition again! :). This is baylands in Palo Alto. I went there everytime when I don't know where to go to paint and have to paint. Each time I feel different. This time when I stand there I was attracted by beautiful yellow California poppy flowers (the bank) which normally is dry grass. The forground grass is very vegetable greens actually. I don't know why I couldn't stop painting this kind of composition. I did another one too yesterday. I guess this is what it is there. I just love the every piece of landscape there too much forgot all about painting rules.

Comment by Michael J. Severin on April 18, 2015 at 6:35

Laura, composition wise, a painting usually has a vertical and horizontal element.  That horizontal element need not be as obvious as a tree or telephone pole , etc.,  It could be a value change, linear movement, a road, stream, etc.  In this painting, you could have designed the incoming piece of water to be a vertical element in a cruciform type of composition.  Now, your title:  Spring Colors ....entitles you to take liberty on your colors ...more color in other words.  You need need to vary your greens ...warm/cool, light/dark, dull/high chroma .. You need to change your brush between mixes of warm and cool colors to avoid mud ..like your purple passage at the upper right.  It looks like you got some of the green mixed into your purple ..maybe you used the same brush?  Make a note to yourself that this will be the last painting you ever paint that features hard, straight, and fast lines ..like your inlet and far bank.  Okay, one more thing ...those tall bushes on the far bank are what is known  as an "eye stop" ...eye stops are not good.  That whole thing is a giant wall blocking the viewer from the background ...the background is an important plane ...without it, no depth.  Solution, break it up so that there are gaps.  Your painting lacks a strong notan structure, therefore, it is important that you have a strong design based on shapes and color.  Actually, one more thing (sorry).  This is one thing that I am constantly harping on when I critique a painting:  The lack of sunlight direction ...there is no indication of where the light is coming from.  When you begin a painting, paint a small arrow somewhere on your canvas to remind you of the light source direction.  Laura, I suggest you start doing a 2 value notan.  If you have a good design with that, then do a 4 value notan ..do this before you begin to paint.  If you cannot get a good notan structure going ..then go somewhere else to paint.  This is so important ...really train yourself to start doing this.  I am sorry for piling on, but your are advanced enough and do not like to see you take a step backward.

Comment by Laura Xu on April 18, 2015 at 4:08

Thank you Jessica!

Comment by Jessica Futerman on April 17, 2015 at 21:06

Lovely brushwork!  I like Joy's suggestion for a focal point!  

Comment by Laura Xu on April 17, 2015 at 16:51

Hi Joy, thank you very much for your comment and thoughtful suggestion. I will certainly consider your suggestion!

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